


Iron doesn't bend (except for gentle hands)

by it_is_bitter



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aftercare, Bonding, Bottom Tony Stark, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dom Bucky Barnes, Dom Steve Rogers, Dom/sub, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Steve Rogers, Sub Tony Stark, Sub-Drop, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric, Top Bucky Barnes, Top Steve Rogers, Touch-Starved, Underage: between Stane and Tony, Withdrawal, bucky and steve give great hugs, suppressants
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:58:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11424105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/it_is_bitter/pseuds/it_is_bitter
Summary: “Oh Tony, my boy.” Obie sighed and crouched down next to where Tony was curled in a ball. A hand came up and pressed hard over the pressure points in his neck, and Tony felt his mind go a little fuzzy as his muscles went lax against his will. “Its not the end of the world sport. Now, I can take care of this so long as you learn to listen to me, huh?” Obie chuckled, but his fingers dug in sharp. "We'll keep this one between us, our little secret, right Tony?”Tony's never told anyone. Not a soul.





	1. Who will catch you when you fall?

_Starks are made of iron. We go to our knees for no one._

A tentacle wrapped around him, suckers gripping into the armor, tearing pieces off. He was dazed for another precious second, before forcibly shoving that shameful, weak part of himself down down down, and burying it. “JARVIS, flares.”

The flares weren’t powerful enough to tear the limb off, but they went deep into the flesh and the thing, whatever it was, _screeched._ Tony had to catch himself from covering his ears, useless as that would be through the armor and flew out of reach, firing repulsors as he went.

“Ironman, status!” Cap’s voice sounded through the comms, too tight like he was clenching his teeth and Tony jerked in the air, before leveling out and taking a breath. _Steve was angry with him._ Grinding his teeth disgusted with himself, he tried to call on the walls in his head to protect him. Just a little longer.

“Cap, I think its pretty obvious what it’s weakness is.” One of its tentacles snapped at him, which he neatly dodged, casually aiming a missile at the base of it. “Way too clingy.” He could hear Barton stifling a snort before Cap snapped at him.

“I want a health report, Ironman. Now.” Tony shivered, mouth already opening to give Steve anything he wanted, to obey, before he clamped his jaw shut, teeth clicking. He was starting to sweat beneath his body suit, and they needed to finish this thing right the hell now.

“110 percent, Cap. In fact, I have an idea.” Steve was ordering him not to engage the creature, but he tuned him out. He circled around its head for a bit, continuously shooting off repulsor blasts to keep its attention, before taking a dive straight down for its mouth. It was more of a beak with teeth, and it chittered at him, sounding happy to get a meal. “I warn you, I don’t taste good.”

It was tempting to close his eyes when it swallowed him, but he didn’t. The comms were going in and out, damaged by the mucus coating the thing’s esophagus, but that was definitely Bucky cursing up a blue storm, and Steve going quickly from frustrated to panicked. Tony sighed, already picturing the dressing down in his future.

In fact he tried to really picture it because it was very damp and dark in here, and for a few seconds he had the delirious thought of explaining to Yinsen how he painted the armor red and gold in the middle of a cave.

“You’re nearly there, sir. I would remind you to please breathe.” JARVIS spoke softly in his ear, and Tony took a shaky breath in after realizing he’d been holding it and nodded his head jerkily, afraid to speak and have his voice shake.

The esophagus was long and winding, and it took a few minutes before JARVIS spoke again. “You are level with the heart sir, if you would angle your chest to the right you will not miss it.”

“Great, lets get the hell out of here. All power to the chest plate, J.” The whirring started up as the reactor charged, and he closed his eyes against the agonized screaming that sounded so much worse from the inside. The blast ate through its organs, before exploding the heart and then it was silent. There was a falling sensation as the thing went limp and fell from its perch on the side of a building and Tony grunted as it slammed them both into the ground. A few more repulsor blasts had him falling out the side of its neck, and he rolled to his feet, just a little unsteady, flipping up the visor to try and get some fresh air. He really needed to take a shower, the acid was eating away at him where the tentacles had gouged out chunks of skin. He grimaced at the smell and attempted to brush some of the disgusting goo off of his shoulders.

“Tony!” A metal hand caught his chin and swung his face around to meet a pair of panicked blue eyes, and Tony froze. “Where are you hurt?” Immediately, without thought, Tony listened and pointed to his shoulder where blood was warming the goose bumps on his skin. Bucky’s mouth thinned out, and his flesh hand came up to prod at the wound before jerking away with a hiss when the acid touched him. Tony stepped back, coming back to himself.

“Christ, Tony. We need to get that shit offa you.” Tony nodded, taking more steps back, trying to discreetly get some space. He was too off-kilter right now, couldn’t trust himself not to fall apart so close to his Dom. To Bucky. So close to Bucky, not his Dom. Tony didn’t have a Dom because nobody wanted him, and he didn’t deserve somebody to take care of him like that. He was selfish and broken, and he fucked everything up. _You’re a bad boy Tony, but I’ll fix you._

“Doll, hey.” Bucky tried to reach for him again, and Tony realized he had wrapped an arm around his middle and bent forward at the waist, curling in on himself. He flinched back from the hand, stumbling back a few steps and bumping directly into Steve who gripped him by the arms and spun him around.

“ _What were you thinking?_ ” Steve looked frantic, eyes boring into Tony’s, demanding his attention. He didn’t need to hold him in place really, Tony couldn’t have moved from beneath that stare if he tried. _He’d disappointed his Dom._ Except Steve wasn’t his Dom either, and Tony was horrified to feel his eyes start to burn. Steve shook him, trying to gain back his attention.

“We could have figured something else out, as a _team._ But instead you ignored my orders, and you could have—” Steve trailed off, looking horrified before he straightened and took a step further into Tony’s space. “You learn to listen to me, or I’m benching you. This cannot happen again.” _Oh Tony my boy, you should know better than to disobey me._

Tony’s knees shook, wanting to sink down, to lower himself beneath his Doms and kiss their boots. To grovel and beg for forgiveness, to do anything to be good again, if he ever was.

Bucky put a hand on Steve’s shoulder and tugged him back, ordered him to take a breath and get a handle on himself, and Tony felt like a puppet with its strings cut without Steve there to hold him up. He lowered his head to look at his hands, marveling that the armor was able to disguise the shaking and repeated over and over in his head _Iron doesn’t bend. Iron doesn’t bend. Iron doesn’t bend Irondoesn’tbend,_ until he could lock his knees straight and reign back in his instincts.

Steve and Bucky were both watching him with narrowed eyes when he looked back up and he took a step back, inwardly grimacing when they glanced down to follow the motion.

“Tony, we need to get you to medical right away. Take off the suit before the acid burns get worse than they are.” _But it’s holding me up._

“Just need a shower.” His voice broke twice and he cleared his throat, blinking fuzzy eyes. Bucky took a step forward slow, like he was approaching a wounded animal.

“Alright, we’ll get you a shower on the quinjet, Doll. Come here.” Tony took a step towards him, and then locked up, wrestling himself down. _Iron doesn’t bend._

“Gotta go.” He gasped out, immediately bringing his feet together to take flight but the foot thrusters short circuited and died before he could even clear five feet. He had a moment to curse the thing’s acid to all _kinds_ of hell before two pairs of hands clamped down on him and jerked him back to the ground.

“Bruce tell me where the manual release is.” Tony’s head swiveled in Steve’s direction, feeling too loose at the joints. Everything was starting to sound too loud, too much, but he knew he had to keep the suit. He needed it.

“No.” He was shaking, but since when was that new. He dropped down, trusting the sudden weight to surprise the super soldiers enough to break their grip before shooting to the side and aiming a punch at Steve’s side. He was already planning in his head how he would punish himself for this later, but the punch never landed.

A metal forearm blocked him at the wrist and then came back, too fast for Tony to block, towards his hip where the fingers dug in and twisted a quarter turn to the right.

The suit opened up and suddenly Tony had absolutely zero walls between himself and his Dominants.

He stumbled back, wide-eyed and afraid in a way he had never been around them. He scanned the surroundings, looking for places to hide all while viciously, _ruthlessly_ , shutting up the voice in his head screaming at him to obey, to please.

“Tony.” Tony’s head whipped around to look at Steve, helpless to not to. “Tony, honey we aren’t gonna hurt you.” And yeah, Tony had played this game before. _I’m not going to hurt you, my boy. I’m going to help you. You want to be better, don’t you?_

Tony didn’t think it much mattered what you called it. He ended up hurting either way.

Bucky stepped up.

“Tony, look at me.” Tony didn’t want to but he did. “You’re ours—our friend. We’re not gonna let anything happen to you, okay? Anybody lays a hand on you, you don’t want and I’ll break it.” Bucky slipped a little of the Winter Soldier into his promise, and Tony stayed very still, watching him. After staring steadily at him for a few seconds, Bucky took another slow step forward and then another slightly less wary one when Tony didn’t flinch back.

“Let’s get you fixed up, okay?” He smiled softly at him while wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist and Tony unclenched a little, following where he led. Steve came up to his other side, bringing Tony’s arm around his shoulder, and Tony thought that it wouldn’t matter if his knees gave out because they wouldn’t let him fall.

Tony blinked and they were in the decontamination shower on the quinjet, Bucky testing the temperature of the water so it wouldn’t aggravate his wounds and Steve tearing the melted body suit off of him in pieces. Vague panicky thoughts swirled in the back of his mind of how bad off he was if he was losing time, but they seemed far away with Steve’s fingers brushing over his skin.

“You’re shaking, Tony.” Steve was blank-faced while he ushered Tony under the spray and he sputtered, the water feeling too cold, the pressure too hard against his oversensitive skin. Through the fog in his brain Tony thought, _they can’t know._

“S-s-sorry.” He took a deep breath, trying to think. “Was just a bit like the c-cave in there. Probably be actin weird for a bit. You two should l-l-leave.” He barely got the last word out and quickly turned to let the water run over his back so they couldn’t see his face.

There was a moment’s silence and then he felt two washcloths gently run down his back, helping the water wash the grime away. Tony stiffened, wanting so so badly to lean into them. “Guys I m-mean it. I want t-to be alone.” His tongue felt too heavy in his mouth and he bit it trying to coax back some feeling. It had never ever been this bad before.

“I don’t think that’s true.” Steve was so close he was almost whispering in his ear and Tony closed his eyes, allowed himself one second to gather himself, before scrubbing at his arms and not looking at him.

“Oh you think so, do you?” Tony forced himself to sneer at them and his heart beat painfully in his chest. “Get out, the both of you.” He was able to keep his face carefully cold and indifferent but he had no control over his breathing and the air came too fast through his clenched teeth. Tony was a rude and ungrateful Sub but that was okay. His Doms would leave him and then he could take a four-hour ice bath as punishment and everything would be fine. But he never heard footsteps leaving.

“Doll,” Bucky chuckled a little, but he didn’t actually sound amused, “we’re a lot harder to get rid of than _that._ ” Tony froze again, dreading what he would have to say to protect himself.

“What Bucky means to say is we aren’t leaving until we’re sure you’re alright.” Tony craned his head around to look at Steve.

“I _am_ alright.”

“No.” Steve shook his head, smiling sadly, “You’re not.” Before Tony could argue, both of them were leading him out of the shower, hands on his waist and wrapped around his shoulders. “C’mon, sweetheart.”

Tony wanted to protest or say something cruel, anything to get them _away_ before they figured it out, but his body was rebelling against him, refusing to go against his Dom’s wishes. _Not your Doms._ With that thought, Tony stumbled between them, knees almost giving out, but they caught him and got him seated on the bench. Bucky strapped him in, hands brushing back his bangs before taking a seat next to him.

Tony ran his hands over the buckles to double check they were secure, and then looked down when he felt cloth rub against his fingers. He frowned down at his chest; they had dressed him sometime between the shower and here, and tended to his gashes as well if the gauze wrapped tight around him was anything to go by. He was losing time again, and he closed his eyes, trying not to panic.

He felt like he was slipping into sleep, except it wasn’t sleep at all, and his body wouldn’t do what he wanted, and he was vulnerable, and confused, and so so scared.

Somebody slipped their palm against his, and he held on tight enough that his own bones ached. “You’re alright, Tony. We’re almost home, hold on.”

Home. Right, home. Tony gasped, not realizing he was holding his breath and felt a thumb rub against the back of his hand.

People were talking around him, he could hear the hum, but it was like he was underwater, the words distorted and far away. It just made him feel more lost, untethered, like he could never find his way back, and he hated this so much but he didn’t know what to do to stop it. He didn’t know what to _do_.

“Tony, open your eyes and look at me.” Immediately he listened, even though just a moment ago he couldn’t have opened his eyes if he tried. Everything was blurry but those were two sets of blue eyes settled on him, and he zoned in on them, forgetting everything else. “We’re going to your room now. Walk.” Again he obeyed instantly, belatedly realizing that he felt grounded now and he was so grateful he could cry.

He felt a bed against the backs of his knees and collapsed backwards onto it, but that felt wrong and he slid to his knees on the floor. His heart stopped beating so frantically against the arc reactor and the ache in his knees suddenly disappeared but there was a small part in the back of his mind that was just screaming, terrified at what he was unveiling right now. The contradicting emotions were tearing him in two and he bowed his head, tears slipping unchecked down his cheeks.

A hand gripped his hair while another cupped his chin and they both pulled his head up gently until he was looking up at his Doms. _Not your Doms_. Tony felt his lips tremble as his face started to crumble, and gentle fingers wiped his cheeks clean.

“Doll, hey.” That was Bucky and Tony tilted his head towards him to show he had his attention, he remembered hands cracking across his face from before when he was too slow to meet that gaze. “What’s a matter, honey?” Tony tried to bite his tongue, to keep his silence, but the words were already spilling out of his mouth.

“I—I don’t know. It’s n-never been this b-bad before. I-I’m scared.” Steve made a wounded noise.

“Don’t be scared sweetheart. You’re dropping really hard, but we’re here. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Tony felt his blood turn to ice water, terror flooding through him, but he was too far gone to flinch away from those hands, from the only things keeping him warm.

“M’not a S-Sub.” Bucky and Steve went very still before looking at each other, and Tony shuddered beneath them. He had upset them, upset his _Doms_ , he was a horrible Sub. A bad Sub.

Fingers tapped his hands and he unfurled them instantly, missing the sharp burn from where he had dug in his nails.

“Alright doll, we’re gonna talk about that later. Right now I just want you to relax. You’re safe here with us, we aren’t gonna let anything happen to you. I promise.”

_Safe here with us,_ those were lethal words, made all the worse because he believed them. He trusted them. The last of Tony’s will crumpled and he gave into the shakes, went pliant beneath their hands and surrendered to the haze in his brain, trusting them to do as they promised.

_Safe here with us._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not that we're actually getting into anything serious in this chapter, but just as an FYI for the coming chapters. In this AU, being a Sub or a Dom involves actual biological needs. So, Do Not use this fic as a template for real life, at least not without a whole bunch of communication. Alright end PSA, go read it, shoo. <3

He’s not really sure if he’s awake, or if he’s here at all. He is both floating up too fast for his fingers to find purchase on the ground, and so heavy that his bones feel like they’re splintering. He’s drowning in water, lungs aching for air, but also parched for a single drop, mouth like a desert. And it hurts. It all really really hurts. But it isn’t the worst part.

He could bear it, if he was bearing it alone.

He hears _His_ voice and lets himself slump, knows it does no good to struggle. The words are like long-forgotten lashes against his back, and he feels them almost as harshly. _Have you forgotten you belong to me, Tony._

Tony scrunches his eyes shut, desperate to drown Him out, but He lives inside Tony’s head and Tony’s never learned how to escape his own head. His skin is oversensitive, the smallest touch like knives digging in, and he keeps reliving the hands. Hands that he both trusted and feared above anything else, that reached out and hurt him over and over because he kept going back. He knows there’s only two but he feels them all at the same time, and they won’t leave him alone.

They leave charred fingertips on his skin, like brands pressed against him, on his chest, his shoulders, anywhere they want because he lets them. Always always one clamped on his neck, and then inevitably the one that slides up to take an unforgiving grip in his hair. They make him look up and he hates it because he doesn’t want to look. Please, please don’t make him look.

“Tony!”

Tony blinks, and steps through the door of his memories, watches Obadiah Stane fade from view, and looks up.

“Hey. Hey, there you are. You’re alright sweetheart.” His vision is fuzzy and Pepper would probably jump at the chance to tell him he needs glasses. Steve’s hands are cupping his face, palms warm and rough against his cheeks and the only thing Tony can think of is that they don’t hurt.

“You scared us, Doll. Thought you went where we couldn’t follow.” Bucky and Steve are both crouched in front of him and it’s so strange to see two Doms lowering themselves to the ground of their own will.

Bucky’s hand touches his chin and Tony blinks. He thinks they want him to speak, but the words are still buried deep inside him and he’s too tired to dig them up. So instead he corrects his form, straightens his spine and shifts his shoulders back, brings his toes up so he’s resting on his heels. He’s ashamed he let himself get so comfortable, he’s been taught better than this.

Tony knows why they want him lucid for this. Can’t take a penance if his mind is somewhere else, and he got sloppy, didn’t pay attention to them. They’re right to punish him, he knows that, knows he deserves it.

But he wishes they wouldn’t.

“No no no, stay with us Tony.” A second passes and Tony is flat on his stomach, a heavy weight on his back. A metal hand is covering his eyes, but this darkness is like soft blankets blocking out the world, like safety, and Tony feels himself settle instantly, scooting back from the black hole beckoning to him in the back of his mind. For a few heartbeats he just breathes, and then lets himself go pliant and sink into the floor. Bucky’s other hand is running over his head, plastering his hair to his scalp, and Steve has a grip on his wrists, stretching them far in front of him, fingers wrapped like manacles around him.

“Alright sweetheart, stay just like that for us. Good boy, Tony.” Tony shivers and relaxes further. _Good boy, Tony._ “JARVIS, get Bruce in here. This is more than some Subdrop. Something’s wrong.”

There is a very soft voice in the back of his head that whispers he doesn’t want Bruce to see him like this, but Tony’s too heavy right now to do anything more than lay here.

The weight on his back shifts and then Bucky is speaking softly directly in his ear. “Tony, Bruce is coming to have a look at ya, all you need to do is stay still for us alright, Doll? Need you to be a good boy and stay still so we can figure out what’s the matter.” Tony struggles with his tongue for a few seconds, wanting to say Yes, sir, and he thinks Bucky notices because he hushes him and kisses his temple.

“S’alright, you don’t need to speak, honey. But I do want you to nod or shake your head when we ask you somethin’.” A little disjointed, like his neck isn’t screwed in quite right, Tony nods his head.

“Just like that, thank you Tony.” The room goes quiet then and Tony focuses on Steve’s thumbs rubbing over his pulse points slowly and lets it soothe him.

“How long has he been like this?” Tony focuses from where he’d been floating hazily, and feels Bruce crouched by his head.

“Five hours now. He’s down real far, but its more than that. He tips over sometimes and goes unresponsive to anything verbal. And he— he flinches from us.” Steve’s voice wavers through the last sentence, and Tony keens low in his throat, tries to shift close and soothe whatever is distressing Steve away, but their hands just tighten on him and hold him down.

“Shh, I’m alright Tony. Stay still now.” Steve shifts his wrists into one hand and uses the other to dig into the pressure point where Tony’s thumb meets his palm. Endorphins rush up his arms to his brain and Tony goes slack, mind fuzzy and warm.

“And has he been shaking this way the whole five hours?”

“Been comin’ in waves. His teeth chatter too, like he got caught in a nasty blizzard, but his skin is burnin’ up. Putting him in submission holds seems to help, but just with calming him down. His body is still goin’ haywire.” Bucky says, voice brittle and stressed. Tony would have tried to comfort him too, but Bucky had preemptively clamped down on the pressure point in his neck, and Tony was busy sinking into the floor.

“I’ve seen this before, just never a case so severe. I’ll need a blood sample to be sure. You two just hold his arm out and hold it steady. I need to put some gloves on, he shouldn’t be getting skin contact from anyone but you guys right now.”

The weight on Tony’s back disappeared and gentle hands repositioned him so he was kneeling again. One hand was still tight on his neck and it kept him grounded enough to be okay sitting up.

“Just need your arm for a second, Doll. Bruce needs a blood sample and then we’ll get you comfy.” Tony was about to nod, he was, but that whisper in the back of his mind was getting louder and he remembered with a moment of clarity why he had hidden himself all his life. Quickly, already flinching from the coming retribution, Tony snatched his hands from Steve’s grip and clutched his arms to his chest protectively. Repeating again and again in his head so he wouldn’t lose the thought, _they can’t know_.

Steve dropped in front of him, hands gripping his shoulders and holding firm. “I’m sorry Tony, I know you’re scared, but we need to do this. You need to let us do this, sweetheart.” Tony shook his head emphatically, and Steve’s face grew stern.

“Do I need to put you over my knee, Tony?” Tony jerked, wide-eyes shooting to Steve’s face.

“ _Steve_ —” Bucky growled.

“Quiet, Buck. He needs this.” One of Steve’s hands cupped Tony’s cheek, thumb rubbing gently and keeping Tony’s gaze locked on him. “Is that what you need, honey? For me to make you?” Steve’s voice was unbearably gentle the whole time, but Tony knew that he meant it. Steve was no pushover.

With that thought, Tony’s heart slowed down and the shakes in his muscles stopped their violent quaking. Steve was in control here; he would take care of him. Tony only had to listen.

Tony met Steve’s eyes and shook his head.

“There’s my good boy.” Steve said, smiling at him. Tony felt his face go a little hot, and looked down at his hands. Bucky chuckled, hand going to Tony’s forehead and leading him to lean back against his chest. “No need to be shy, Doll.”

Tony turned and hid his face in Bucky’s neck, keeping his arm limp when Steve gripped him at the elbow and wrist and held it out. He tensed, waiting for the sting of the needle but instead felt Bucky bite his shoulder and jerked, startled. Tony blinked at Bucky’s soft smile and then looked over and realized Bruce had gotten the sample while he was distracted, arm held perfectly still by Steve.

Bruce quickly left to go down to the lab, and both of his Dominants turned their attention to Tony. Steve moved between Tony’s legs, hands rubbing the tops of Tony’s thighs comfortingly. “You with us, sweetheart?”

Tony nodded and felt Bucky’s hands trace nonsensical lines on his stomach.

“I don’t know why you’ve been hiding your designation from everyone,” Tony tensed and Steve hurried to reassure him, “We aren’t angry with you, Tony, but we are concerned. This isn’t just a privacy problem, denying your biology like this… there are consequences to that. Ones I’m sure you’re aware of.” At this, Steve’s lips tightened and he looked away, taking a breath. Not angry with him. Right.

Bucky hooked Tony’s chin with his fingers, pulling until their eyes met. “Still not angry, Doll. We just don’t like thinkin’ of ya hurtin’ yourself, which we’ll be havin’ a conversation about later.” Bucky leveled Tony with a stern look, but held firm when Tony tried to duck his head. “For right now, its just important you know this will stay between us. Bruce won’t make any records of his findings, and me and Stevie sure as hell ain’t tellin’ no one.” Bucky turned Tony’s head back to look at Steve, who was composed again.

“We said you were safe with us and we meant it Tony, that includes your secrets. However,” Steve’s voice dropped in register and Tony melted against Bucky at the hint of Steve’s Dom-voice. “We won’t stand by while you hurt yourself, not now that we know about it. How could we? You’re our best guy, Tony.” Steve smiled gently at him, hand reaching up to cup his cheek again. Tony leaned into it, reveling in how Steve’s face softened at him.

“Just— when Bruce gets you back to yourself, please don’t run from us.” Steve was pleading with him, Tony realized, and he was nodding his head as soon as Steve was done talking, anything to get that pained look off his face, even a lie. _Steve, running is all I’ve ever known._

Steve’s face tightened and he opened his mouth to say something else, but Bucky interrupted him. “It can wait, Stevie.”

Steve nodded, though he didn’t look pleased about it, and brought Tony’s feet into his lap, fingers digging in expertly. Tony sighed and relaxed again, stopped paying attention to the time passing and let their murmured conversation to each other go over his head.

“ _Captain, Dr. Banner is on his way to your floor. He shall be with you shortly.”_

“Thanks, JARVIS.” Steve moved so he was sitting next to Tony, holding one of Tony’s hands in both of his. Both Bucky and Steve were rigid and tense waiting for Bruce, but they just hushed Tony when he tried to comfort them again.

When Bruce walked in he looked deeply unhappy, shuffling through the papers in his hands like looking at them again would change the data. Bucky got impatient.

“ _Bruce_ ,” he said sharply, finally getting Bruce’s attention, “What’s a matter with Tony?”

“Well, withdrawal for one. He’s got a fledging bond forming, I can only assume with the both of you, and it’s caused his suppressants to fail.”

“Tony’s on suppressants?” Bucky’s voice was flat and Tony ducked his head down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. Bruce didn’t seem to notice, just went back to his notes.

“Yeah,” he said absently, “for a long time now it seems like. Nothing to do about the withdrawal, any more exposure to his meds and his blood toxicity will get too high, so weaning him off of them is out of the question.” Bruce sighed, hand coming up to rub over the bridge of his nose. “Christ Tony, you don’t do anything half way.”

“What can we do?” Steve spoke up, gripping Tony’s hand like a vice.

“Completing the bond would help stabilize him—“

“We aren’t making a decision like that without Tony’s input. What else?” A bit of Steve’s Dom-voice leaked out and Tony shivered, going pliant between them.

“Well, _that_ actually. For at least the past few years, Tony hasn’t gone down once. Suppressants don’t allow for that, especially at the dosage Tony was taking. His body was shutting down, and now it’s over-correcting. He needs someone to Dom him, balance out his hormones.” At that Tony went rigid, and Bucky and Steve started rubbing circles into his skin again.

“How long until he’s stable again?”

“Based on how inactive his serotonin and dopamine receptors are?” Bruce blew out a breath, running a hand through his hair. “We’re looking at months here.”

“ _Months?!_ ” Bucky half-shouted, before taking a breath and composing himself when Tony flinched. “He won’t last months like this, Bruce.”

“Its not going to be a constant thing,” Bruce put his hands up, placating. “He’ll be himself for most of it, but his body is going to force him to go down unpredictably since he’s been depriving himself so long. Your jobs will be to catch him in time and put him in subspace before he drops.”

Steve blew out a breath, rubbing his face and absently petting Tony’s hair with his other hand. “He won’t like that.”

“I don’t envy you,” Bruce cracked a small smile, “But he needs the both of you right now, whether he likes it or not. The suppressants were breaking his body down, sure. But they were also keeping his brain in check without a Dom to help. He’s not prepared for the backlash, I promise you that.”

“So, what? We just order him around for a few months and make him hate us? That’s your solution?” Bucky said, voice cutting. Quietly in his own head, Tony asked the same.

“Buck.” Steve spoke quiet, “You know that’s not who you are and not who I am. We’ll take care of him, however Tony needs us to. No more, no less.”

Bruce nodded, satisfied and then took a knee in front of Tony. “Tony, you trust Bucky and Steve, right?” Tony nodded sharply.

“That’s good,” Bruce smiled, “But I need you to know I’m not dumping you into their hands and turning away, alright? If they do anything, _anything_ , that crosses a line or takes advantage, JARVIS will tell me right away.” His smile grew, showing more teeth. “And I will make them regret it.”

Tony blinked, eyes calm and steady on Bruce’s.

“Okay.” Bruce stood up again, collecting the papers he had laid on the bed. “Just keep him hydrated and calm, best you can. He’ll come out of this drop pretty soon I think, he’s already more aware than when I first walked in. I’d advise you talk to him thoroughly when he’s lucid again, before he runs away.” Bruce looked back at Tony, smiling fondly, “Wouldn’t know how to accept help if you tied him down and force-fed it to him.”

The door closed with a click behind Bruce and then Bucky shifted his grip to pick Tony up. "C'mon Doll, we'll deal with everythin' later. For now, you gotta be tuckered out." Gently, he laid Tony on his side in the middle of the bed, curling up warm and strong around his back. Steve scooted up to cover Tony’s front, fingers tracing Tony’s face slowly. Tony closed his eyes when Steve brushed over his eyelids.

“Go to sleep, honey. We’ll be right here.” Steve pressed a kiss against his forehead, and Bucky tightened his arms around Tony’s waist.

 

_For now,_ Tony thought, and let sleep take him.

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all are unbelievably sweet, I've read every comment probably five times. I hope the stars are out tonight wherever you are, and the wifi strong.


	3. Chapter 3

When Tony next opens them, his eyes are his own again, no more fuzziness making the room blurry. His first thought is no thought at all, just an ugly, bleeding mess of self-loathing that punches him straight through the chest. Of all the stupid, _pathetic_ goddamn mistakes, he makes the one that will cost him the life he’s made for himself.

He remembers—he remembers the lashes that made rivers of his back, the feel of salt against an open wound, of kneeling in it himself as recompense for failures. He remembers looking at his father and thinking “ _You must know. Father, you must know what he does. I’m your blood and he’s draining me dry. Look at me!”_ But just as quickly as the thought ended, a voice would whisper in his mind, _“Do you think you don’t deserve it? You selfish, foolish boy.”_

And Tony didn’t. He wanted to be better, to pay for his mistakes. To be good.

So when the hand gripped him by his nape and started to lead him away, to that room with the locked door nobody opened, Tony did nothing but close his eyes.

_Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy. Good boy Good boy Good boy Good boy Good boy Good boy Good boy Good boy GoodboyGoodboyGoodboyGoodboygoodboygoodboygoodboygoodboy. Be a Good Boy, Tony._

“Fuck.” Tony pressed his palms into his eyes, grinding them in until all he saw was static. _Never again._ Tony got up from—where was he? Some bed. And immediately hit the floor when his legs buckled from beneath him. He started dragging himself to the wall, pulling himself up by the lamp affixed there. _Never again._ The lamp ripped out of the plaster and the glass of the light bulb sprinkled over his bare feet, but he was standing. _Never Again_. Shaking, unsteady, he made his way to the window, he’s had harder climbs before, and harder falls. He can’t stay here. Waiting. _Never Again._

The window doesn’t open, they never do from this far up. And he is very high, still in his tower in—in Steve and Bucky’s room. That thought hurts, like it’s a beast crawling inside his head, tail lashing at his ribs. Absently, he rubs the heel of his palm over his sternum, soothing the ache. They won’t want him now, and the whole world must be buzzing with the news. “ _The great Tony Stark a lowly sub; how the mighty have fallen.”_ Tony barks a laugh at the thought. He has never been mighty.

The glass shatters beneath his elbow, and he hits it again, gritting his teeth against the rips in his skin until there’s no window left. He has one leg out the window, when a sharp voice calls his name and he freezes.

“Tony!”

Briefly, Tony squeezes his eyes shut before turning his head towards the voice. Both Steve and Bucky are filling up his doorway, both with hands outstretched but very clearly not moving closer to him. Tony sighs and moves his gaze back to the city behind him.

“You know I can’t stay here. And I’m sure whoever you’re selling me to is very nice.” Tony almost rolls his eyes. Almost. “Very nice, really, but I’d honestly rather a dedicated Chupacabra eat my heart in front of me, so just tell him a loving fuck off from me, alright?” Tony shifts his grip on the windowsill, wincing at the sharp edge and looks down, calculating. He really shouldn’t count on a suit catching him; they’d probably disabled them.

“Tony! Wait, wait! Just hold on a sec Doll, nobody’s selling you to no one, ‘less they have some sorta death wish.” Tony stops analyzing his descent, and looks back up at them, confused and cautious.

“We wouldn’t give you away, sweetheart. We want to keep you.” Steve says, and Tony blinks at him, mind blank. Nobody wants him, Tony knows this sure as he knows gravity. Tony immediately dismisses the thought and suddenly understands what this is about.

It feels like the ground has crumbled beneath him, and Tony just falls and falls and falls. He never expected this from _them_ , from these men Tony has fallen in love with. He never thought he’d have to be wary, be _afraid,_ of Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes. For just a moment he is livid at them, for wanting to use him, for seeing him as some _whore_ , but then Tony takes a breath and reminds himself of who he is. _You’re being unfair,_ Tony thinks to himself, _this is their biology. They can’t help it._

And then in a whisper that Tony pretends he can’t hear, _“If you can control yourself why can’t they.”_

“Boys”, Tony says with a grin that is just a baring of teeth, “If you’re looking for a new fuck toy, I recommend The Pleasure Chest on 43rd street, ‘Fraid I’m not up for grabs.” Tony laughs, hears Stane call him _easy_ in his head, and searches with his toes for the ledge beneath him.

“Do you think that’s what you are to us? Tony, Tony you’re precious to us.” Tony pauses, confused at the panic in Steve’s voice, but then Steve takes a breath and sounds more like the soldier he meets in the field. “You’re a scientist, Tony. Look at your evidence, we have never treated a Submissive that way.”

His evidence? Tony has decades, has too many white lines to count on his back (he remembers every one, memories branded in his mind), has endless _endless_ mounds of evidence. He knows exactly how Doms think, has _lived_ it. But—

But what if he’s wrong?

Steve and Bucky had been creeping closer while he was thinking. He heard their footsteps, could have easily told them to back off, but a foolish, naïve part of himself was rearing its head, making him think that maybe he wanted to let them close. Like ripping himself from mud sucking him down, Tony jerked back and raised a hand to keep back his—the Doms.

They both froze, hands up, placating. Bucky spoke, eyes steady on Tony’s, “Come down from there, Darlin’. We just wanna talk.”

Talk? Right. Tony snorted, shifting back from them. That’s how it always went. _Why don’t we go have a chat, my boy. You and I._ This was Tony’s chance to save himself, to misbehave. He’d have to give up the genius title if he turned that down.

And then they both dropped to their knees, heads tilting to the side, baring their throats.

Tony stared at them wide-eyed, stunned speechless. Never, _never_ had he seen a Dom submit, seen them lower themselves, let alone to _him._ He honestly didn’t think they were physically capable of it, but the proof, the evidence was kneeling right in front of him. He held himself completely still for a few moments, warring with himself, and then climbed back through the window, body answering their call to him.

He half-expected them to grab him, wrestle him down, but they were statue-still, barely breathing. Hesitantly, hands shaking, he reached up two fingers and ran them down the line of Steve’s throat. It was bold, and Tony probably needed to be reminded of his place, but it didn’t stop him from accepting Steve’s submission with sweeps of his fingertips. Steve’s face softened at whatever was on Tony’s, and he smiled at him gently. “Would never hurt you sweetheart. Need to protect you.”

Tony didn’t know what to think, he faltered briefly before turning to Bucky. Bucky had tilted his head more, flicking his hair off his neck in invitation, and grinned at Tony, beckoning him closer with his eyes. Tony almost smiled back, mouth quirking. His hands shook only a little when he ran the same two fingers down Bucky’s throat, absently thinking that he liked the contrast between Steve’s clean-shaven face and Bucky’s scruff.

Bucky let him explore his throat for awhile, before very slowly bringing his hand up to catch Tony’s and tugging it to his mouth for a kiss. When he spoke his lips brushed against the back of it, “We just wanna take care of you, Doll. That’s all.” He kissed Tony’s hand again and Tony felt his face heat. Bucky grinned. “That and make you blush more, Gorgeous.”

Tony stared at him, and then took a step back from both of them, narrowing his eyes. “I don’t understand.” Tony said slowly, frustrated. He’s never the one who needs something explained, and it rankles at him.

“No, don’t reckon you would, Doll.” Bucky murmurs, sounding immeasurably sad.

“We’ll help teach you sweetheart, but can we fix you up first, Tony? Please.” Steve grits out, eyes on Tony’s arm. Tony blinks and then looks down at himself, noticing the blood painting him a new sleeve and suddenly feeling the hot stinging covering his elbow. “Huh.” Tony turns his arm over inspecting it disinterestedly before glancing back up at them and seeing the rigid way both of them are holding themselves.

Tony raises his eyebrows, surprised at how affected they both are at seeing him hurt. Stane would have loved it.

Tony purses his lips, deliberating, then goes to the bed and makes himself comfortable. He holds out a hand, making a get-on-with-it gesture and dips his head in assent. He watches them both hurry around the room gathering supplies, purposefully keeping his posture loose and open and praying their super-ears can’t pick up his heart-beat.

They’re endlessly gentle as the clean pieces of glass out of his elbow and his hand and the back of his thigh where the shards dug into his skin, and Tony puts all his energy into looking unaffected, but inside his mind is racing.

His instincts are screaming at him to escape before its too late, to flinch from their hands, but an increasingly louder part of Tony is reminding him that he knows these men.

He knows that Steve keeps his room at 89 degrees at night because it helps keep his nightmares of icy graves at bay, that his favorite restaurant is Havana because one bite from their food is more flavor than he’d had in his first 21 years of life. He knows that Steve came home drenched from the rain because he gave his umbrella to a homeless man and his dog.

He knows Bucky goes rigid when he’s angry because he’s so afraid of hurting someone again, that he keeps Clint company in the vents when he’s missing Phil something fierce. He knows that on the nights he disappears Natasha takes him to a hip-hop class because Bucky’s surprisingly good and it helps him relax.

He knows how soft they both go around him, how gentle.

But what if everything changes now, and Tony in all his weakness and selfishness ruins it?

With soft hands, Bucky coaxes him onto his stomach so Steve can get to the back of his thigh, and Tony remembers other gentle hands that used to care for him like this.

 

_“Master Anthony.” Jarvis sighs, sounding sad but not surprised. “What’s happened?”_

_Tony is on the floor, leaning against the wall, the broken remains of his latest screw-up scattered around him. Angrily, he scrubs the tears from his face and kicks petulantly at one of the pieces by his foot. “Stupid thing didn’t work.”_

_“Mmm, and I imagine this warranted throwing it at the wall?”_

_“No,” Tony said, face screwing up angrily, “he threw it.”_

_“Ah.” Tony peeks up at Jarvis who is tight-lipped and angry-eyed. Tony looks back down at his hands, feeling small. He hates disappointing Jarvis._

_“Well, no matter. I’ll assist you this time, Master Anthony.” Jarvis picks up one of the bent pieces next to them, turning it uncertainly in his hands. “Though I may need to be more of a gatherer than an architect.”_

_“I don’t want to anymore. Was just a stupid idea anyway.” Tony said, ignoring the disapproving look he could see out of the corner of his eye._

_“I’ll thank you not to speak so rudely about yourself, Anthony Edward. And surely my ears are deceiving me, and I didn’t just hear Young Mr. Stark give up.” Tony rolled his eyes and snatched up another one of the pieces just to do something with his hands._

_“I’m not_ giving up _, its just not worth it s’all.”_

_“Hmm, why don’t you tell me what actually has you tangled up, Poppet?”_

_Tony stays quiet and Jarvis waits him out, tossing the twisted piece of metal between each of his hands. Tony is stubborn, yes, but Jarvis is more so, and it only takes him thirty-three minutes to cave._

_“What if I never get it right? Dad’ll be so mad, and Mom will act like she isn’t disappointed, but she so obviously_ is. _And I’ll just be some nobody.” Tony takes a breath, mouth wobbling, “Its just scary, Jarvis. What if I fail?”_

_Jarvis hums again, and Tony can see him looking at him out of the corner of his eye. “If you fail, Master Anthony, you will not fail alone. I won’t leave you if you can’t fulfill whatever impossible task your father has set for you this time, though there is not a doubt in my mind that you are more than capable. Being scared is not a weakness, young Sir.” At that Tony scoffs, refusing to look at Jarvis until he shifts onto his knees in front of Tony, gently gripping his chin._

_“Listen to me, Tony.” Tony blinks up at him, attention caught by the one name Jarvis hardly ever calls him. “Be afraid. But do not let it stop you.”_

“Okay, lets not do that again in a hurry, Doll.” Bucky smoothed the bandage wrapped around his elbow, and Tony blinked, refocusing on both of them.

“Thanks, Popsicles.” Tony stayed resolutely still, because he didn’t _fidget_ , damnit. And he didn’t duck his head, like some meek, scared little kid. It was just easier to look at their noses instead of their eyes is all, that’s just common sense, and his sleeves were hitting his wrists all wrong so he had to keep rolling them up. Cool, calm, and collected thy name is Tony Stark.

“Mind if we talk now, Darlin’?” Tony tensed up. He thought they might have let him rest first before they laid everything out.

“Sure, can’t wait for that convo. So excited I could climb out that window right over there. Whats first? Punishments? Bet I have a hundred or so racked up already, which if you’re asking me—“

“How about,” Steve interrupted him, pinning him down with his eyes. “You let us say our piece, and then we listen to whatever you have to say.” Tony closed his mouth, back straightening at Steve’s no-nonsense tone.

Tony tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “Seems like a trap, but okay.” Bucky laughed and then snagged Tony’s waist to drag him backwards to the headboard before he and Steve both settled in front of Tony, so they were all on equal ground. Tony watched them warily, just waiting for the power plays to start. He felt like he was consistently missing the last step of the stairs, feeling sure of how they would act and then having his expectations fall through the air. Didn’t quite know how he felt about that.

“Since you brought it up, the first thing we want to make clear is that punishments are off the table for a long-while.” Tony’s eyes widened and Steve held up a hand to keep him silent. “If you have something you feel guilty over and need our help, then that’s a different story. But for right now, neither Bucky nor myself will be issuing punishments. You aren’t near ready for that, and we aren’t in the business of traumatizing you.”

“You—you don’t want—.” Tony was gob smacked, actually opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Bucky reached out and grabbed Tony’s hand like he just couldn’t help himself.

“Ah ah, our turn still, Doll.” Obediently, Tony closed his mouth. If they hadn’t before, they certainly had his attention now.

“We would have preferred to take this much slower than we will have to now, Tony. You’re going to be unstable for quite some time, and you’ll be needing us to even you out. I’m not calling you weak,” Steve quickly spoke over Tony when he opened his mouth again. “This goes both ways. You’ve seen the both of us when we try to suppress our instincts for too long.” Steve looked at him steadily and Tony had to admit he had a point.

Every once in awhile the battle would get too violent, or the villain would be extra dominant, or for whatever reason, but Bucky and Steve would be disgusted with their Dominant sides afterwards. They could go for a few weeks without issues but then Bucky would stop sleeping entirely so he could constantly walk the perimeter of the house, protecting his territory. And Steve would take his aggression out on Tony’s (very strong, reinforced ones mind you. Tony’s no slouch) punching bags until they split open and his hands were a mangled mess. Don’t even get Tony started on how they acted towards each other, both dragging the other to bed and trying to force feed them soup. To which both of them insisted they were fine until they were both growling at each other to “ _Just eat the goddamn soup, punk!”_ , and then ultimately needing the entire team to break them up and yell at them to stop being ridiculous and go scene.

And—now that Tony’s really thinking about it—they would both team up on Tony and shuffle him off to bed despite his many protests that he was almost done with his latest project. And then when they finally deemed him rested enough and let him return to his workshop they found any reason imaginable to keep everyone but the two of them out. _Like a vulnerable mate,_ Tony realized, _they were protective over me like they were with each other._

“I’m certain you’ll be wanting some time to come to terms with this, I know this must be difficult for you, especially given the fact that you were keeping your designation secret.” Tony blinked, focusing back in on Steve. “But given these circumstances, we’re gonna have to check in once every 24 hours, and you better believe we’ll be keeping tabs on if you’re eating and sleeping enough.”

Tony opened his mouth again, probably to protest that he was a grown man or something, he didn’t know, but Bucky tapped his hands.

“Do you think letting you work yourself into the ground and wither away are traits of a good caregiver, Doll? I know you love to be haphazard with your health, but I promise you these aren’t unreasonable requests.” Bucky grinned at him, rubbing his thumbs over the back of Tony’s hands, “You’re just not used to people who don’t cave to your tantrums, honey.”

“I. Do. _Not—”_

“Sweetheart.” Steve said, fondly. “Anytime someone gets too close to you or tries to help keep you _alive_ , you damn near bite their head off. Or you completely shut down and hide yourself away until they give up. That’s a tantrum if I’ve ever heard of one.” Steve smiled, and brushed Tony’s hair off his forehead. “Don’t look so offended honey, there’s nothing childish about tantrums. You’ve been pushing and pushing people for years trying to find an immoveable object, someone who doesn’t bend just because its easier. Someone who sees the difficult parts of you and doesn’t turn away. We want to be that for you, Tony.”

Tony looked at him incredulously, hunching his shoulders and wishing he had been quicker in climbing through the window. He felt antsy and very exposed to be honest. Steve was just laying out Tony’s soul on the bed and pointing out the parts hidden by layers of Tony’s best self-defense mechanisms, like Tony hadn’t dedicated his whole life to hiding them. He wanted to go hide away in his workshop, far from these eyes that saw entirely too much.

“Doll, we don’t want to overwhelm you.” Bucky shot a sharp look at Steve. “We just want you to know that things with us will be different, and you can decide for yourself if you like those differences. This is entirely up to you. After we get you through these next few months, if you want to cut us off we won’t stop you. You can even—“ Bucky faltered briefly “You can even use some other Dom if it would make you feel more comfortable. So long as you’re safe, you can do whatever you want, Tony.”

Tony stared, feeling like he’d stepped through the air again. They’d be okay if another Dom put their hands on him? They wouldn’t stop him?

“You—“ Tony said slowly, testing the words out as he said them, “You aren’t in this for yourselves at all, are you?”

Both of them shook their heads frantically, looking a strange mixture of concerned and furious.

“A proper Dom is there for their Sub, not—not whatever the hell your ‘Dom’ was playing at in the past.” Steve growled, a bit of his Dom-voice seeping through. Tony shivered and Bucky squeezed his hands again.

“Tony, we don’t have to have all of this figured out right now. This isn’t binding, Doll. If you start having any doubts or problems we can talk about it and fix it, okay? You just have to trust us enough to take care of you and know that we’ll listen to you every single time you’re scared or uncertain. Can you do that, Tony?”

Trust them? Tony had trusted enough, hadn’t he? And all it got him was broken knees and his heart ripped out of his chest. Trusting was stupid; the safe thing would be to wait for the nearest opportunity and run while he still could. He knew this, Tony _knew_ this damnit.

There were scars branded into him inside and out to prove this, stains left on his fucking _soul_ that kept him up at night. And—

And there were also gentle hands that led him to movie night so he wouldn’t be left alone. Frantic fingers that tipped his chin up when he got thrown through a few walls. Smiles that he swore made his heart stop even though it shouldn’t be possible with the arc reactor powering it. There were two men who kept him company even when he was thorny and spitting, and brought him food and actually stayed to make sure he ate it. And Tony kind of liked it, despite his many efforts.

 

_Listen to me, Tony. Be afraid. But do not let it stop you._

 

Tony scanned both their faces, cataloging the poorly hidden hope and the nervousness in the pulse of their throats. _I do trust you_ , Tony thought but didn’t say. Instead he nodded his head slowly, achingly, feeling his heart race in his chest.

 

_Okay, Jarvis._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's too sweet? Its all of you. You guys keep me writing, I'm so serious. You deserve 20,000 big warm hugs if you guys are into that kind of thing and actual immortal life. Bless you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still alive!!!!! And I bring you an update!!!! (I apologize in at least 12 languages for the wait) <3 <3 <3

 

 

Tony spends that next week watching, in wait. He is the Tiger hiding in the brush, waiting for the first mis-step, the first slip-up, for any reason they give him to pounce.

Of course, he’s enlisting JARVIS’ help for this, doesn’t trust himself with his body going haywire on him, so it’s a team effort. He remembers the weeks Obie would shower him in presents and kind sweeps of his hands, and he remembers falling for it. The first few times anyway. He knows better by now than to be lulled into complacence by a few sugar-sweet words and some bits of the affection he’s starved for.

So he’s watching, but so far all’s been quiet on the western front. Too quiet. It’s a quiet that could drive him mad, ears straining for the first noise, and Tony isn’t one to passively wait for the other shoe to drop, not anymore at least. So he starts testing them. Obie used to hate when other people got too close to him, so Tony takes a deep breath around the corner before waltzing into the common area, eyes sharp on the two soldiers. But there were no territorial displays towards the other Doms lounging about, no shuffling Tony into another room, hands like vices on the nape of his neck.

All they did was stand up when he entered, Steve ushering him to sit down, and fussing with the bandages on his thigh and elbow, while Bucky went to whip something up in the kitchen. Tony leaned back into the couch briefly, suspicious and already recalculating, before throwing himself into the conversation like he always does.

The next day he waits for everyone to be settled in the common room again, and then challenges Clint to a Mario Kart competition. It progresses as it always does, Clint gets frustrated halfway through and starts cheating by throwing himself over Tony’s lap and digging his elbows into Tony’s thighs while he steers. It always makes Tony double over laughing, and try to buck Clint off until they’re both wrestling for control on the floor.

Except this time Tony’s attention is divided, half of it focused on his Dom’s faces. He expects rage, or even worse the cold calculating expression he’s grown familiar with. And they are watching him, that’s true, but it’s with nothing he’s used to.

Bucky is grinning, tracking Tony with laughter in his eyes. And Steve is smiling too, but it’s with that pinched look he gets sometimes when he thinks Tony is overexerting himself. Bucky nudges Steve’s shoulder with his own, seemingly snapping him out of whatever he was thinking, “He’s fine, Stevie. Let them play.”

Tony is stunned enough that Clint wins the race against him for the first time ever, something he is sure to never hear the end of.

Tony gets bolder. Leaning over Thor’s shoulder to read the paper, flirting with the reporters during press conferences, asking Natasha for fighting lessons, flirting with Natasha, wearing Thor’s cape as a blanket _,_ including _Phil_ in his wrestling matches with Clint (Phil’s no participant at all really, he just stands there looking quietly amused before growing impatient and helping Tony pin Clint down), he cooks food for Bruce, he even _feeds_ it to Bruce, but they never blink twice.

He’s not used to the long game. Obie made him wait sometimes too of course, to draw it out until Tony was begging to be punished, anything to ease the guilt eating him up. But at least Obie _told_ Tony what he was going to do. Right now he’s flying blind, with no clue as to when they’ll drop the front and put him in his place, and its killing him. So he kicks it up a notch.

Carefully, he puts on Natasha’s face-mesh software, and blinks at the stranger in the mirror, someone years younger than him, with blue eyes and no goatee. And then he sneaks out without leaving a note and heads to the seediest bar he knows.

His body is a neon sign right now, thank you withdrawal, overflowing with pheromones and practically slapping every Dom he passes in the face with them. So Tony has all the attention he needs and none he actually wants. He schmoozes around the room, let’s a few of the more respectful Doms buy him drinks (and discreetly scans them with his watch for any unwanted pharmaceuticals before having a taste), and generally lets the hands stray over his lower back or through his hair. Anywhere bolder, and he moves on to the next one.

It’s strange. Tony’s used to being the center of attention in a crowd, but he’s never had the focus be on his designation instead of his money or his fame. So he fumbles a little in the beginning, even blushes a few times, but he’s always been a quick learner and soon he’s wielding this new tool like he’s done it all his life. It’s an easy thing, to make these Doms want him. The public atmosphere keeps them in check, so they can’t throw too big a fit when Tony gets tired of them, and Tony actually finds himself enjoying the power he has here. Of course, that power would disintegrate as soon as he stepped through the doors, a fact that Tony doesn’t forget even though he’s having fun. Still, there’s a sort of freedom here where no one knows who he is, he’s never had that before. He feels like he’s glimpsing an alternate life where no one knows the name Tony Stark.

He’s been here for hours, and while he’s sure this will be enough to tip Steve and Bucky over the edge, Tony doesn’t do anything halfway. The whiskey is fire down his throat when he tips it back, keeping his eyes locked with one of the tall, beefy Doms he’s felt watching him. The glass clinks against the counter, and Tony lets the corner of his mouth tilt up in a slow smirk, before deliberately tilting his head to the side and baring his neck. Big and Beefy’s eyes darken, and immediately he starts stalking towards Tony. _Like dangling meat in front of a dog,_ Tony thinks uncharitably. As soon as he’s in range, Tony grabs his hands and pulls him over to one of the darker corners in the bar, and lets Tall and Hairy press him against the wall.

When he leans in for a kiss, Tony bares his throat and Easily Excitable starts scent-marking Tony’s neck with relish, making pleased hums. Tony rolls his eyes, and lets Handsy and Sweaty mark him well and good before pushing him away.

“Thanks, big guy. Enjoy your night.” Tony smiles at him, kissing his first two fingers and then pressing them against Now Thoroughly Annoyed’s lips and not so gently shoves his big head out of Tony’s way.

Predictably, “Hey, bitch! We’re not through!” gets shouted at him, but Tony doesn’t even turn around, throwing a wave over his shoulder, and slinking towards the door. The guy can follow him if he wants to, Tony has the suit bracelets on his wrists, and honestly he doesn’t even think he’d need them to stomp him into the ground.

Its strange again, as soon as he steps outside, the confidence he was caring around rolls off him like water, and he’s left relying on the mask he’s been using for years while he quietly panics inside.

That was incredibly stupid of him. Possibly in the top ten of stupid things he’s done. Obie would have taken the first two layers of skin off his back for this. He would have shoved him in The Room and kept him isolated for weeks until he was _begging_ for anything Obie would give him for this. And then he would have doubled the time until Tony was so touch-starved that his bodily systems degraded to Persistence. He’d shiver to the point of convulsions, sweat so much he’d dehydrate, and his appetite would leave him until just the thought of food made him nauseous.

He remembers scraping “I’m sorry” into the concrete until his fingernails fell off, and how the sores in his mouth would split open when his tongue ran over them. The blood is salty and it aches but nowhere near enough. He needs pain that’s impossible to think through, needs the lashes on his back reopened, anything, _anything_ but this horrible empty nothingness.

His knees scrape on the ground and the skin gives easy, letting more blood seep out of him. Tony doesn’t care, he goes to the door to beg again, pride a concept forgotten days ago. “Sir. Please let me out. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry I’m awful. I don’t deserve it, but please let me out. I’ll be good. I’ll be a good boy. Don’t leave me here, please. I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m sorryI’msorryI’msorryimsorryimsorryimsor—

“Fuck!” Tony stops walking and puts a hand against the brick to bring himself out of his memories, his other hand over his face and covering his eyes. He breathes deliberately slowly in and out, trying to stave off the panic, and only mostly succeeds. _What have you done, Tony?_

What a question, Tony thinks. Probably, he has made JARVIS ready his emergency suit to fly him out of here when this goes south. Probably he has made Bucky and Steve go half out of their heads wondering where he is. Definitely he has earned a punishment. Tony’s not a fool, he knows he deserves this one, he just has no plans on taking it. Tony has failsafes in place now if they take it too far, he’s not some snot-nosed little kid anymore. He’ll punish himself on his own in someway if for some reason later on he starts feeling guilty about this. _Not likely,_ Tony thinks.

The panic subsides a bit and moves to a back burner in his brain, leaving grim dread in its wake. _You wanted this, Tony._

That’s true enough; he wanted an end to this limbo the three of them are in, to this cruel game where Steve and Bucky dangle his life in front of him. They’ve even let him grab it, dig his fingers into what he’s fought tooth and nail for, and cradle it close. But Tony’s not a fool, he knows they’re stronger than him; they can rip it away whenever they want.

Tony straightens, pulling a deep breath in through his teeth and letting it sit in his lungs a long while before letting it rush out of him. Those were the thoughts of a scared little boy that have no place in him now. He’s Tony Stark, no one takes what he doesn’t want to give. Not anymore.

With that he starts striding back towards the tower, heart pounding and scared out of his wits, but he doesn’t let that slow him. Tony’s felt fear in battle many times, in dark caves with cruel water, in the great big emptiness of space with his home slowly closing behind him, leaving him behind. This is no different. His gate is steady, and his face is set how he wants it, his first layer of armor that’s always there for him when his suit fails.

The door doesn’t creak when he opens it, of course it doesn’t, it’s his door, but it still seems too loud. Quickly, he takes off the face-mesh software and tosses it onto the counter. Tasha will forgive him, he’s pretty sure anyway.

He means to keep walking through the hallway, but he’s having trouble making his feet move. He’s tense, ears straining for the slightest sound, eyes for the slightest movement. He reminds himself that he is powerful too, even against two super soldiers stalking him in the dark.

But they aren’t hovering in the doorway, and the lights never flick on to reveal them sitting in the shadows, waiting for him. Tony barely breathes, but he starts creeping further inside, weight on the balls of his feet and ready to duck away at split second’s notice.

“Tony? Is that you, Doll?” Tony flinches, and then holds himself still, making himself think. He takes a moment to analyze Bucky’s tone, there’s no hint of anger, not even of displeasure, but Tony knows that means little. He turns to JARVIS’s nearest camera and signs to him _Be ready._ There’s no reply, JARVIS knows not to make a sound when Tony is silent.

Gathering his courage to himself, Tony follows Bucky’s voice, calling as he goes, “Yeah its me.”

There’s a movie playing with the sound turned low, probably so it won’t wake anyone who’s sleeping. Unnecessary, Tony thinks, of course he had his architects keep sound-control in mind when he had the room built.

Steve and Bucky are on the couch, lounging with their sides pressed together, and both heads turned towards the doorway where Tony is staring at them. “Hey, popsicles.” They both look utterly relaxed, unconcerned with where he’s been. _So, still pretending then._

“Hey sweetheart,” Steve says, grinning at Tony, “How was your day?”

“Oh you know, a day.” Tony grits out, starting to get unbelievably frustrated with this game.

Steve looks Tony over, assessing him, but Bucky speaks up. “You alright, Tony? You look spooked.”

Tony just looks at them, his hands are starting to shake and he clenches them into fists. They’ve played with their food long enough, and Tony is not for eating.

“I went to a bar!” He half shouts, and both of their eyebrows raise up. “And I let every Dom in there put their hands on me, and buy me drinks, and get up in my space! And I—,” Tony stumbles briefly, before forcing the words out, “And I bared my neck, and let a stranger mark me!” The shaking is definitely worse now, but Tony just glares defiantly at them, breathing hard.

There’s a beat of silence in which both of them look a little gob smacked, and then Bucky clears his throat. “Well, I hope he was a gentleman.”

Tony slams the side of his fist into the wall, “ _Enough!_ ” There’s more silence, only it’s heavier this time and Tony is choking on it.

“Come here, Tony.” Steve says, face stern, and Tony’s anger drains as quickly as the blood from his face. He is ten again, looking up at the giants who will crush him and handing them the club. Why did he provoke them, why does he always provoke them?

Steve waits a moment before getting up from the couch and walking towards Tony. He looks impossibly tall, looming over Tony like a tsunami wave. He’s going to swallow Tony whole, and Tony will die drowning on his own words, hidden from everyone beneath the angry sea.

And then Steve crouches down and Tony realizes he is kneeling on the ground and that’s why he felt so small.

“Up we come.” Steve says and snakes his hands beneath Tony’s knees, settling Tony against his chest like a koala. And Tony doesn’t move, barely breathes. If they take him to The Room, he’ll tear it apart and them with it.

“Breathe sweetheart, you’re alright. We aren’t angry with you.” Tony tenses, and then fully processes what was said and opens his eyes. He’s sitting on Steve’s lap, his legs stretched across Bucky’s thighs, and both of their hands are somewhere on him, grounding him.

“There you are.” Bucky smiles at him, soft, and holds his gaze. “You wanna tell us what that was all about?”

Tony pretends to think about it. “No.”

“Do it anyway.” Steve says, pushing Tony’s bangs off his sweaty forehead.

Tony presses his lips together, mind racing to find the correct way to respond to this. Does he apologize? No fuck that, he’s apologized enough. Does he…does he—??? He can’t fathom what they want him to do. He has no idea what the hell to say. He looks back up at them, trying to read their faces for clues, but its no help. They both just look a little sad.

“Alright. We’ll start.” Steve says, taking Tony’s hands and rubbing his pulse. “As far as I see it, you’ve been restless this past week and not just from the withdrawal, but because of us.” Steve pauses, scrutinizing Tony and then nodding at whatever he sees on Tony’s face. “You’re scared of us.”

“I’m—”

“I’m not finished, Tony.” Steve says, and Tony shuts his mouth. “We’ve seen you testing us, we’re just unclear on what you’ve been trying to provoke.” Tony feels Steve squeeze his palms, trying to coax his eyes up and failing, “Care to enlighten us?”

“Testing you?” Tony says, trying to be nonchalant and probably missing the mark by roughly 10,000 miles. Bucky squeezes his ankles.

“You’re not that subtle, doll. You’ve been behaving like normal, sure, but you keep sneaking looks at us like you’re in some kind of trouble. And every time you enter a room you know we’re in, you stop just outside the door and take a deep breath.” At Tony’s startled look, Bucky grins and taps his ear. “Super senses, doll. Can hear your heart too, whenever you’re close to us. Like right now, its just about to beat out of your chest, which considering we’re only holding you should be some kind of red flag.”

“Well that’s just—” Tony starts, trying to wiggle out of their laps and gain some space, somewhere far enough they can’t hear his goddamn _heart_ for Christ’s sake, but they tighten their grip and he barely manages an inch.

“Tell us what’s going on, Tony.”

“Nothing! Nothings wrong!” Tony raises his voice again, trying to pick their fingers off him one by one. He can’t even move Steve’s pinky with both hands.

“Now look here, dollface. We can’t start buildin’ anything here if we can’t be honest with each other. Its time to fess up now.” Tony stills a little, instinctively responding to that tone. Bucky has never been stern with him before. A hand cups under his chin and lifts until Tony has nowhere else to look, and Bucky smiles at him, soft. “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours, darlin’?”

Tony stares at him for a few seconds, feeling his resolve crumble. He’s never been able to deny them anything for long, whatever consequences that means for himself. He takes a steadying breath.

“Okay.” Tony pauses, even he can feel how he’s caving in on himself, shoulders hunching, and Tony has had enough of caves so he straightens up and meets their eyes head on, face smooth. “Okay, then I want you guys to drop the act.”

“The act?” They both look at each other and Tony nods.

“Yeah. I know you’re probably trying to protect me or whatever, but its worse for me, waiting. And you guys can’t honestly tell me that my pushing hasn’t been bothering you.”

They both squint at him, faces guarded now, no longer letting emotions seep through the mask.

“Tell us what you expect we’ll do when we drop the act, Tony.”

Tony leaned back, just for a moment before he caught himself, took his body back under stern control. Okay, he hadn’t expected this from them, but that’s okay. Obadiah used to make him do this too. He could handle it.

Quietly, that little voice in the back of his mind spoke up. _They’re the same._ But Tony silenced it quickly. If this was all they wanted he would take it. Take it and be grateful. _Is it so terrible to not_ want _to be grateful for terrible things, just because they could be worse?_

_Yes_ , thought Tony viciously, _Now shut up._

“Yeah. Yeah I’ve earned that, okay.” Deep breath. “Are you giving me choices, or do you want me to get creative?”

Bucky’s eyes tightened, and Steve’s mask slipped enough that Tony could hear his teeth snap together. Before Tony could wonder how he had fucked up already, Steve spoke through his teeth, “Surprise us.”

Tony deliberated just for a few seconds, trying to size up what they’d like, before going with the harsher-end. It always pleased to go harsher. Doms liked it when subs didn’t shy from corrections.

“I have the sea salt already here, and the sandpaper—you guys can do that part if you want, unless you want me to!” Tony added quickly, seeing their expressions, “I’ll take the first layer off my knees, and then ill kneel for you for—” Tony hesitated, stuttering just a bit. Better to be harsh he told himself. Better in the end anyway. “for four hours.”

Tony took another breath, gathering the courage to look back at them, not sure at what point he looked away, and felt his heart sink. They were nowhere near smiling. “Five! I meant five hours.”

Bucky stood up suddenly with his back to them and then Steve was gathering Tony up against his chest, guiding Tony’s nose to his throat, right up against his scent glands. And there was nothing of disgust or disappointment, just an overpowering protectiveness and a mournful sadness. And anger. Lots of anger.

“Shh Tony, that’s enough. I can’t bear it.” And then over Tony’s head, “James Buchanon, get your head out of your ass.”

It took a moment, but then a calloused hand settled on Tony’s forehead, thumb rubbing gently. “Все нормально, котенок” _Its okay, kitten._

Tony blinked up at them, more than a little confused. Bucky was halfway to the soldier right now, face that calm, empty mask. But his fingers were gentle over Tony’s brow. He couldn’t see Steve’s face, tucked under his chin as he was, but his arms held Tony close and secure. Safe.

And none of this made any goddamn sense.

Bucky sighed and knelt down in front of Tony, the icy soldier melting away. “Thought we made it clear there would be no punishments, honey.” Tony blinked again.

“But its not a punishment? Its just to please you.”

Steve’s arms tightened around him, and Tony leaned back in time to see the flash of anger before Steve smothered it. “Alright. That’s going to take awhile to unlearn. For now, Tony, I want you to know that we are very pleased with you. All the time.” Tony started to squirm, ducking his head down, unsure why Steve was taunting him, but a metal hand caught his chin.

“Hey. We mean it, dollface.” Tony said nothing to that, trying to calculate their angle here, and after a moment of scrutinizing his face, Steve sighed.

“Do you think we’re liars, Tony?” Immediately, Tony’s eyes widened and he started frantically shaking his head. Bucky’s hand slid down to Tony’s palm and pressed in on the pressure point there, and Tony felt his heart rate start to slow back down.

“Shh, its alright, you’re alright. I don’t want you to answer that. I just want you to think about it. Try and ask yourself why you believe we’re lying about this when we lie about nothing else to you. And when you figure it out, come tell us.”

_Actually I’m going to try to never think about any of this conversation ever,_ Tony thought but of course didn’t say. “You got it.” Tony said instead, trying to look sincere.

Bucky chuckled before settling back down on Tony’s other side, and Steve rolled his eyes and readjusted Tony to sit between them, turning back to the TV.

“Lucky we’re old men, eh Stevie? Plenty good at waiting for things.”

“Speak for yourself. I was patient before I hit the ice, age got nothing to do with it.”

Bucky leaned down and whispered loudly in Tony’s ear, “See Tony, Steve can lie about these things to most people because nobody can call him on it, and he counts too much on my bad memory. But you should’ve seen how he’d tap his toes at me when I wasn’t moving fast enough in the mornings.”

Steve reached over and flicked Bucky’s ear without looking, “Every man has his limit, Tony. Mine just happens to be the 11th alarm clock snooze.”

“I’ll have JARVIS cut them off after the 10th then.” Tony said, feeling their banter take the tension out of him.

“Oh, aren’t you sweet.” And Steve pressed a smiling kiss to Tony’s hair, watching the movie Tony forgot was playing in the background.

A few minutes in and they rearranged again. Tony hesitated, not wanting to overstep his bounds, but Steve noticed and used a hand on the back of his neck to gently encourage him to lay down on the pillow Steve had in his lap, and then Bucky picked up his feet and started to massage the arches.

With the hand Steve kept on the back of his neck, Tony could only resist relaxing for so long, and pretty soon he was melting down between them. Bucky hummed at Tony when he felt his legs get heavy in his lap. “Good boy.”

Tony’s cheeks heated up, but hopefully their freaky super-eyes couldn’t see that with his face turned away from them. On the screen Remy was giving Linguine the puppy-rat-eyes, trying not to be thrown in the river.

“Which one of you chose Ratatouille?”

“I did,” Steve said, running a hand through Tony’s hair.

“Very quality choice. I’m impressed.”

“It was on the list you gave us to watch, Tony.”

“My point exactly.”

Bucky laughed again and reached over to ruffle Tony’s hair. Tony tamped down on the urge to shiver and tried very hard to be cool. Both of them had always been very affectionate with him, and Tony did his best to not be obvious in how much he ate up every touch.

Trying to distract himself, Tony blurted out, “So can you smell the drunk guy’s scent mark on me, or have I dodged the bullet?” and promptly felt his soul leave his body. Tony couldn’t have chosen a more idiotic question if he tried. If there was anything that provoked a Dom’s anger, it was the thought of another’s claim, and Tony had just casually reminded them of it like the _biggest dumbass in the worl—_

“Oh yeah. You sure know how to pick ‘em, Tony. Can practically smell his mother’s basement through all that incompetent-nobody-stench. I bet he ‘bout lost his mind when you looked his way.” Bucky’s words cut off Tony’s rapidly derailing train of thought mid-word, and Tony was silent for just a beat too long while trying to decide if the humor in his voice was genuine.

“It was almost sad. Like dangling food in front of a dog.” Tony was tense, testing, it was too much to ask for Doms to laugh at the mention of their sub flirting with someone else. And even though their arrangement for his withdrawal was in no way a relationship, Tony didn’t expect the rules to be much different. But that’s exactly what they did. Steve even had to reach up and grab his chest, and Bucky actually slapped his thigh. And really, Tony couldn’t help but smile a very little at that.

“God help whoever you turn your charm on Tony. Poor bastard didn’t stand a chance.” Steve said, once he’d settled down.

“How’d you disguise yourself?” Bucky asked. Of course Bucky would know Tony wouldn’t out his secret for such a petty thing.

“Natasha’s face-mesh software, can’t believe all the little gadgets she has—”

“Oh shit. I didn’t hear that.” Tony twisted on Steve’s lap to glance back at Bucky, who was giving Steve a very uneasy look.

“What—”

“No remember that, Tony. When Natasha finds out you went through her things, we didn’t hear about it, we had nothing to do with it, and it is in no way our faults.” Steve said gravely. Tony rolled his eyes.

“You guys are ridiculous. Tasha is a marshmallow deep down. Admittedly deeper down than most humans are capable of burying their marshmallow fluff, but its there.”

“You _would_ say that. She’s always been soft for you.” Bucky grumbled.

“Guys, guys, its not a competition. We know she loves all of us, it shouldn’t matter how _much_ she loves us.”

“Yeah, we’ll see if you’re still singing the same tune after she finds this out.”

“Oh come on, I _barely_ used her special mask—”

“Uh bup bup, we know nothing.” Steve said, closing Tony’s mouth with a finger.

Tony turned back to the TV, shaking his head and trying not to grin. “Couple of cowards.” He mumbled into the pillow.

“We heard that.”

This time Tony did laugh. Just a little. He focused back on the movie, just to catch it at the last scene before the credits.

Bucky sighed and stretched his arms over his head, “Ready for bed, doll?”

“No!” Tony said too loud, “No, lets just watch one more.” He didn’t want to move from between them just yet. They were both very warm is all.

“We’ll watch one more, sweetheart. After that you’ll be going to bed, you look exhausted. JARVIS, would you pick a movie off the list for us? Something mellow.”

“Of course, Captain.”

The TV went dark for a second and then A Good Year started playing, and Steve was rubbing Tony’s scalp and Bucky was tracing nonsense shapes on Tony’s calves and Tony was laying between them and letting them.

Maybe this wasn’t so bad. Maybe if Bucky and Steve wanted to just sit with Tony sometimes, maybe he would let them.

Tony shook his head a little bit, trying to stop thinking about it for now, and settled himself more comfortably on both of them to watch the rest of the movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go vote lovelies <3

**Author's Note:**

> More to come, I promise you that.


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